Every year at Thanksgiving (November) I use cored Red Delicious apples to hold candles for the table decoration. It seems in line with the pioneer spirit and using what is easily to hand.
A few days after Thanksgiving last year I still had these on the table and was sitting contemplating the world when I noticed a beautiful morning light on them that really brought them alive, even without flame in the candles! I quickly took several photos and painted this from one of the photos with my Geneva oil paints.
This little brass pitcher is special to me because my dad made it when he was 16. He passed away 10 years ago, and I have this on my kitchen window ledge now, reminding me of him.
I thought it would look good with these two citrus fruits and I am pleased with the result.
Here’s another simple still life, 6 x 8 inches. I set it up on a piece of wood right next to my easel and tried to paint what I saw. I’m loving the feeling of oil paints.
Although I’ve enjoyed the acrylic glazing process, I decided I wanted to return to something with more ‘solidity’ and depth, and a method that is more direct. I have not been able to find mediums I like for the water-mixable oils, so with some encouragement and instruction from Kari Rajkumar, I’m working with traditional oils now.
I bought a small selection of Gamblin 1980 oils locally, and have been working on exercises from Paint Coach (on YouTube and Patreon). Paint Coach (Chris Fornataro) is very good at simplifying and de-mystifying the materials and process, with excellent tutorials on all aspects of oil painting. And he’s often entertaining!
Both apples were painted with a triad (Hansa Yellow Medium, Cadmium Red Medium and Ultramarine Blue, plus Titanium white. I used Gamsol thinner and Oleogel medium. I enjoyed seeing the improvement of the second (lower one) over the first. I think I got a little better idea of the paint/thinner/medium mixtures the second time.
Apple studies, 6 x 8 ins, oil on canvas paper
I recently tried these two pictures of baby hands with an orange using two different colored grounds. One was burnt sienna; the other was ultramarine blue. Can you tell which was which?
It’s not difficult to tell–the orange is more vibrant on the burnt sienna, and the rest of the painting is more exciting on the blue background. I found the flesh colors difficult to get correct. I like the top hand on the right the best, as it has the most luminosity.
I think hands are fascinating for their complexity of positions and expressions. I need more practice at painting them though!
marymayhewart 